Libya's Tripoli Airport Reopens After Drone Alert

FILE - Passengers are seen in a hall at Tripoli's Mitiga International Airport.

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Libya's Tripoli Airport Reopens After Drone Alert

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TRIPOLI, LIBYA —

The airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, reopened Saturday after a brief closure because of an unidentified drone flying in the area, officials said.

Residents have repeatedly spotted drones flying over Tripoli in the past few days but the reason for their flights is not clear.

People in the capital have been on edge because of rumors that the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) loyal to Khalifa Haftar might seek to take it after gaining control of much of the south.

Haftar has not said he wants to march on Tripoli, but an LNA website carried an unsourced report this week saying it could happen, adding that the LNA was working with people inside the city.

The United Nations, alarmed about the possibility of a military escalation, is mediating between Haftar, who is allied with a parallel government in the east, and Tripoli Premier Fayez al-Serraj, who heads the U.N.-backed administration.

The United Nations has been trying for years to pull the oil producer out of conflict but has made little progress.